1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to infrared and ultraviolet reflectors for use in drying, such as drying moisture or ink on a substrate, such as a traveling web of material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of infra red radiation to dry webs is known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,013 to Pabst et al. discloses an infra red dryer for drying fabric webs. The radiators can be pivoted into a "waiting position" to direct the emitted radiation away from the web so that they can remain fully energized without burning the web once the web is dried, or without burning the web if it stops moving.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,340 to Treleven discloses ultraviolet radiating assemblies. Ultraviolet mercury quartz lamps are received within an elongated reflector having a generally elliptically shaped inside surface cross-section to focus the emitted light. The reflector includes a plurality of cooling fins. The reflector and lamps are supported by a reflector carrier, which is then slidably mounted in a lamp module. The module includes flat rectangular metal frame heat exchangers to assist in removing heat from the modules. The modules are encased in a housing having an exhaust chamber attached to a fan to pull air through the housing which also cools the components therein.
Typical prior art reflectors have poor resolution, in that they do not block the light between adjacent lamps. Thus too large of a dissipation pattern of light results. Light from one lamp can affect areas 4 or 5 zones away. Controlling the drying of specific areas of the web by independently controlling individual lamps is extremely difficult where such a large dissipation pattern is present. The shape of the reflector is also important in avoiding reflector material degradation, including melting of the reflector.